A Fourth Genin
by 14shiffna
Summary: Ender Aran is an odd-one-out in Hidden Leaf, alongside his best friend, Naruto Uzumaki. After Naruto steals the Scroll of Sealing, they are placed on the same ninja team, resulting in crazy adventures. Reboot to Searching Forever.
1. Brothers Against Each Other

**A reboot? Yes. A possibly bad reboot? Yes. Am I still going to do it because I think my writing has gotten better? Yes. Do I still want to do this fic? Absolutely!**

Chapter One

Ender walked to the Academy, alone, again, because Naruto was off doing something stupid. Again. But he wasn't alone long. Well, he was alone, but for a second, he wasn't. A blur flew past him above, cackling like a madman. Naruto. Two more blurs, chasing after him. Some of the Jonin of the village.

"Oh Naruto, what did you do this time?" Ender asked the air before his gaze conveniently fell upon Hokage Rock. He was barely surprised by the vandalism on it. He sighed.

"Why is it that I'm always right when Naruto's going to do something stupid?" Ender asked himself. Ignoring Naruto now getting tied up by Iruka-sensei down the road, Ender hopped to the rooftops and started to sprint to the Academy.

**Later**

Ender was just sitting in his seat when Iruka-sensei walked into the classroom with Naruto tied up.

"Alright everybody, because of Naruto here, we're going to be doing the Transformation Jutsu Test again," The entire class groaned, Ender, included. Of all the things he studied last night, he had forgotten Transformation.** Mid-chapter Author's Note: I completely forget if it's Transformation or Clone and I'm too lazy to go back and rewatch it. **The entire class lined up leading to the testing room. Ender fell in beside Naruto and Shikamaru. Before Shikamaru or Ino could speak up, Ender bopped Naruto on the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for!?" Naruto screamed.  
"One, I'm your best and only friend, so I can do that, secondly, this is your fault, so you deserved that," Ender replied.

"You honestly do, Naruto," Ino cut in.

"Yeah, we always pay for your mischief," Shikamaru adds. All four of them shut up as the line began to move again. Slowly, the line moved, until it was Ender's turn. Ender stepped inside the testing room. Iruka and Mizuki motioned for him to begin and Ender did as asked. He clasped his hands together so that the pointer and middle fingers of both were up, one on top of the other, and concentrated for a moment.

"Transformation Jutsu!" He called and he was enveloped in a puff of smoke. Ender now had white spiky hair and was taller with a Jonin vest on. He had a headband pulled over his left eye and a face mask over his face. Iruka and Mizuki's eyes widened.

"Where have you seen that man!?" Iruka pretty much screamed.

"I've seen him leaving the Memorial Stone when I arrive. We've even talked a little. He's Kakashi Hatake, correct?" Iruka and Mizuki were even more confused. Mizuki spoke up first.

"Why were you visiting the Memorial Stone in the first place," was his question. Ender's face darkened.

"No offense sensei, but I feel like you two should know," Ender was enveloped in another cloud of smoke and returned to his true self, bowed, and left the room.

**Later**

The whole room was buzzing. Someone had caught a glimpse of actual Hidden Leaf headbands. The information had spread all through the class, and the seating had been abandoned. Finally, Iruka and Mizuki stepped into the room carrying two trays filled with line upon line of headbands baring Hidden Leaf headbands. The room quieted down as Iruka began to call names.

"Sakura Haruno," A girl in pink hair moved to pick up her headband.

"Choji Akimichi," A boy with brown hair and red swirls on his cheek moved down to get his headband. And so it went like this for a while until the last name was called.

"Ender Aran," Ender moved from his spot in the back to grab a headband and thank Iruka. But there were none left. And Naruto still had his goggles. Naruto's face fell into that one moment of depression that is so rare, Ender's only seen it once before. For now, Ender pocketed his headband. The bell rang for the end of the day, and they both left the building.

**Mid-Chapter Author's Note: Keep in mind to take every Season One episode with a grain of salt. I haven't seen them in a while and I'm too lazy to go back and rewatch them.**

**Later**

After Naruto had finished cleaning Hokage Rock and gotten ramen with Iruka, he and Ender sat on the roof of Naruto's house, talking and eating.

"Y'know, you don't need to hide your headband from me just because I didn't get one," Naruto said sullenly, surprising Ender.

"I know, but I'm still keeping it in my pocket," Ender replied. Mizuki appeared in the doorway behind the two boys.

"Ender, may I speak to Naruto? Alone?" Mizuki asked. Ender nodded and hopped away to a neighboring rooftop. Ender watched the ensuing conversation and saw Naruto sit up a little straighter. Mizuki finished talking to him and left the rooftop, allowing Ender to return to it.

"I've seen that face before. What are you up to now?" Ender asked. Naruto chuckled evilly and rubbed his hands together.

"Come on. We're going for a walk," Naruto said.

"Oh boy,"

**Yet Again, Later**

It was dark by the time Ender and Naruto reached the cabin.

"You wait out here. I'll be right back," Naruto said, running into the cabin. Ender stood around with his hands shoved into his pockets, waiting. Finally, Naruto came back out heaving a huge scroll.

"What is this?" Ender asked.

"My key to becoming a ninja," Naruto opened the scroll and began reading, Ender reading over his shoulder. Ender found a Jutsu called 'Chidori'. He squinted his eyes at the amount of Chakra needed and the hand signs.

"Eh, I feel like I could pull that off," He said to no one in particular. Naruto looks to him with a questioning look, which Ender waved off. Ender backed some ways away and did the hand signs. He put his hands together so that the four fingers on his left hand pointed outward and the pinkie and pointer on his right pointed up, the middle and ring curling over the left hand. He switched it so that his middle and pointer fingers were touching and the rest of his fingers fell out before him. He then made two loser signs and put them together, one sideways one right-side up. He did the pointer middle fingers thing again, and then he cupped his hands over one another and did the pointer middle fingers thing one more time then held his left-hand open. Some blue sparks flew from his fingertips, but nothing more. Meanwhile, nearby he heard Naruto trying a Jutsu of his own. What it was, he didn't know. Ender tried again, gathering a little bit more Chakra and doing the hand signs again. Some more sparks, but nothing more. Ender focused. He gathered as much Chakra as he dared and did the hand signs again. This time, blue lightning formed a ball in his hand and lightning arced out from it. Both he and Naruto stared at it for a moment before Ender shakily stood up. He let go of his left arm but let it stay up. The ball was a little heavy, but he could handle it. He stared at a tree before rushing. With a shout, Ender rammed the ball into the tree, splitting it off its trunk and sending it flying a few hundred feet. Ender smiled and breathes a breath he had been holding. He shakily fell onto his hands and knees on the trunk. He sat down, leaning his back against the trunk. Naruto's smile was bigger and more determined. Ender just sat and watched his friend try and try. He had figured by now it was a Clone Jutsu, but he didn't know which one.

"NARUTO! ENDER!" An angry voice caught the two boys' attention, whipping their heads to face Iruka.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" He asked. Naruto merely sheepishly laughed.

"Wow, Iruka-sensei. Either you guys are fast or I and Ender are really slow since you only found us after we got one Jutsu done," he said, rubbing the back of his head. Ender nodded.

"What? Wait, so you two don't know what this scroll?" Iruka asked. Both boys shook their heads.

"Mizuki-sensei said it was my key to becoming a ninja. I just thought it was full of cool Jutsu," Naruto said.

"Mizuki?" Iruka asked. Iruka's eyes widened as he turned around.

"Naruto! Get out of the way!" He yelled. Several Kunai Knives flew from the trees, pushing him back, but luckily, only one hit him. Mizuki stood in the trees, two large Shuriken strapped to his back. **Mid-Chapter Author's Note Warning: This next conversation is entirely made up.**

"Wow, Iruka. You got here before I did. I'm impressed. And you didn't kill these two. That wasn't supposed to happen," Mizuki said.

"Traitor!"

"But Iruka shouldn't Naruto be the traitor here? I mean, he did steal the scrolls. And destroyed the lives of so many," Mizuki responded.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"I-I… I didn't kill or destroy anyone," Naruto said.

"Naruto! Ender! Get out of here! Now!" Iruka tried to prod the two boys to get moving, but they stayed rooted to their spots.

"Oh, but you did. The whole village knows. They're just sneaking around from telling you. You too Ender," Mizuki sneered, enjoying how easily he was keeping the boys.

"W-what do you mean?" Ender asked.

"I mean, Naruto has the Nine-Tailed Beast sealed inside him," Mizuki said.

"Mizuki no!" Iruka's shout came much too late, for the damage had already been done. Ender's lower lip had begun to tremble. The Nine-Tailed. He only remembered it faintly. Something in the forest. Something orange and black. Nine writhing appendages behind it. But that isn't the reason it was significant. It was the night his parents hadn't returned. Ender's breath turned shaky.

"No. No, I didn't do that!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh, but you did!" Mizuki said.

"No, he didn't! He's different from that beast Mizuki and you know it!" Iruka said.

"How can you say that Iruka, when the Nine-Tailed killed your parents?" Mizuki said. Iruka gritted his teeth and pulled out the Kunai stuck in his thigh and threw it at Mizuki. Mizuki merely sidestepped around it.

"So, Naruto, you now have two choices. Either take revenge on the Village… or die here," Mizuki said, unclipping one of the giant Shuriken from his back. When Naruto didn't answer, Mizuki smiled.

"Fine then. Have… it… YOUR WAY!" Mizuki threw the Shuriken as hard and he could, sending it flying towards Naruto, who stayed rooted in his spot. And Ender? He wasn't going to do anything. As far as he was concerned, Naruto could die. Iruka prevented that. He ran into the Shuriken as it was about to hit Naruto, hitting him right in the center of the symbol on the back of his vest. Blood began to run out of the corner of his mouth.

"Both of you… go… now!" Iruka forced both boys to move, flying into the trees. Ender and Naruto ran side by side before Iruka appeared beside them.

"Naruto! I dealt with Mizuki! Now give me the scroll!" Naruto continued to run. Iruka jumped in front of Naruto, who rammed into him, sending him sprawling. When Iruka hit the ground, the Jutsu was deactivated, revealing him a Mizuki. Ender hopped behind a tree, where he found Naruto.

"Ah-!" Ender's yelp was cut short as Naruto clamped his hand over Ender's mouth. Ender ripped Naruto's hand off of him and peered around the tree. What had appeared to be Naruto before was now Iruka, sitting up against a tree with a log sitting beside him. Mizuki and Iruka were talking again. Mizuki pulled out the other Shuriken, but before he could throw it at Iruka, Naruto appeared and knocked it out of his hands.

"If you ever… touch my sensei again," Naruto began,

"I'll kill you!" Naruto did a hand sign, putting his right middle and pointer fingers over his left and yelling:

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" All around him and in the trees, Narutos appeared. Mizuki's face contorted into one of terror. All of the Narutos leaped out of the trees into a pile and beat Mizuki to a pulp. It took a few minutes, but eventually, Naruto stopped, allowing his clones to poof into smoke, also leaving Mizouki crippled and bloody. Naruto turned around to Iruka sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away," was Naruto's only response.

"It's alright Naruto. Come here, I have a surprise for you," Iruka said. Naruto stepped closer. Iruka told him to close his eyes. Naruto closed them and when he opened them, Iruka was holding his goggles and Naruto had a headband on his forehead.

"Congratulations Naruto. You've graduated." Iruka said.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto laughed as he jumped on Iruka, hugging him but pushing him to the ground. Ender couldn't help but crack a small smile. But the smile quickly vanished.

"Naruto. Can I speak to you quickly?" Ender asked. Naruto stood up and nodded, following Ender into the woods a little.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Naruto turned around to face Ender… only to be met with a fist. Naruto hit the ground hard.

"Hey! What was that for!?" He screamed.

"My parents," Ender kicked Naruto in the ribs and jumped into the trees. Ender returned to his home with tears streaking his face. It was all he could do to not put a few holes into walls. He flopped onto his bed as the next day dawned.

**Was that final part cringe? Maybe, depends on what you guys think. Am I bad at writing emotional scenes? Yes. Is the end going to be relevant by the next chapter? You'll see. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed that and I'll see you all around. Peace. Also, keep in mind, I am Season Two. Don't flame me.**


	2. Blood Brothers

**Hello, sorry this chapter took so long to get out; I just got super lazy and tied up with stuff over on the Smash Bros section of this website. Anyway, real quick, Luna Bakura, thank you for the suggestion about this chapter. Considering I rewatched episode two of season one to see where I could put in Ender and there weren't many places, so, I had to combine episodes two and three. Also, the title may give away what happens at the end of the first chapter with Konohamaru. Anyway, enjoy it! **

Blood Brothers

Ender walked through the streets of Konoha alone, dwelling on his thoughts, not stopping for anything. Mostly he was dwelling on how long he could keep up this grudge and his and Naruto's fight from last night. Well, less of a fight and more of a beating on his part. As he walked past a small street, he saw Naruto and some… kid, practicing Transformation Jutsu. Ender's body started to move but stopped quickly.

"Go talk to him," Ender lowered his face, shadow covering it.

"No,"

"You'll be burdened until you do," Iruka stepped beside Ender and stared ahead at Naruto. Sharply, Ender turned away and began walking down the street.

"I guess I'll just take you to the Hokage. He told me to if you didn't cooperate the first time," in a flash, Iruka had grabbed Ender's hood and was flying to the viewing point of Hokage Rock, Ender dangling behind him.

When he arrived, the Third Hokage was waiting. Ender jerked his hood from Iruka's grasp.

"You're angry,"

"That's a blunt way of looking at it," Ender snarked.

"But is it fair to hurt your friend… your brother-"

"He's not my brother!" Ender's words stopped the Hokage and Iruka's breathing for a moment, seeing as the outburst was unexpected.

"Ender, have I ever taught you what a Jinchuriki is?" The Third Hokage breathed again as he asked his next question.

"No. Why?" Ender's voice still dripped with venom.

"A Jinchuriki is someone who has a Tailed Beast inside them. The Tailed Beast is usually sealed inside them at birth so that they become accustomed to each other's Chakra over time. But they are two separate entities. That means the thing that killed your parents wasn't Naruto," the Hokage's words cut into Ender like a knife through hot butter. He managed to stand for a minute more but eventually fell backward on his butt. A lone tear got to his cheek before he wiped it off and a grateful smile entered his face.

"Thank you. Don't know how much longer I could've kept that up," Iruka and the Third Hokage smiled.

"Go find Naruto. Apologize to him. You two were raised together. Trained together. You are brothers," Ender stood at the Hokage's words and nodded. He turned to Iruka next.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Iruka-sensei. It was better than just letting it run its course," Ender said, bowing slightly.

"You're welcome, Ender. Now, what are you still standing here for? Go apologize to Naruto!" Iruka's tone was a playful angry and he pointed out to the village. Ender laughed and saluted.

"Yes, sir!" Ender ran and jumped off the railing of the viewpoint, and flew across the rooftops, searching for Naruto.

0-0-0-0-0

Ender had been searching for hours, and it was sunset. He sat down at a bench in a small wooded area to take a rest for a moment. He heard a rustling beside him and when he turned to see who it was, Naruto and the kid from earlier came through talking. Ender interrupted Naruto as he ranted about something probably stupid.

"Hey! Naruto!" Ender smiled and waved, his eyes shut, so he didn't notice Naruto running at him until it was too late. When he opened his eyes, he was met with a fist to the face. He flew off the bench but did a back handspring and landed, albeit with a bloody nose.

"Naruto wait!" Ender's plea didn't stop Naruto who rushed again with his right fist raised. Ender spun Naruto around and pushed him to the bench. Naruto grabbed two kunai from the pack on his thigh and threw them at Ender. He dodged one and caught the other.

"Naruto stop!" Naruto came at him again, but instead of turning him around, he merely blocked the punch. Naruto followed up with an attempt at a swift kick to the stomach, but Ender stopped it.

"Naruto please!"

"What do you want!?"

"To say I'm sorry!" Naruto's expression softened and he stepped back.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes. What I did was stupid and… I should've apologized sooner," Ender's face fell, expecting another blow from Naruto. Instead, he was caught up in a crushing hug.

"Ha-ha! I was wondering when you would apologize! You know I know you're bad at holding grudges!" Naruto said after he put Ender down. Ender sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're right,"

"I found you!" Ender, Naruto, and that kid, who had watched the fight, whipped their heads to the trees. Standing on a branch, a man in a black long-sleeve with rolled-up sleeves and black sweatpants with black glasses looked down upon them. He had a headband with the Hidden Leaf symbol on it.

"Honorable Third Grandson, what are you doing with these, these," as the man continued to search for words to describe him and Naruto, Ender looked over to the kid.

_He's the grandson of the Hokage? Hm, good to know _Ender cast an inquisitive eye over him for a moment before returning to the man.

"Hey! Leave him alone. I'm his boss!" Naruto's stupid anger was going to get himself and Ender in trouble… again.

"Naruto, I don't think you should go picking a fight with a Jonin," Ender suggested.

"No way! This kid wants to stop being smothered by all this training, so he came to me!" Naruto completely ignored Ender, causing him to facepalm. The Jonin jumped to the ground.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto did the hand sign for Shadow Clone Jutsu and all around him a bunch of Narutos appeared. The Jonin merely smirked and pushed up his glasses.

"Please. I'll show you how a _real _ninja deals with urchins like you," the Jonin made his first mistake. He walked right into the middle of a group of Narutos. Naruto did the hand sign for Shadow Clone Jutsu again, and his clones, one after the other in very short intervals, said,

"Transform!" in a poof, all the Narutos transformed into a skinny, nude version of themselves. Ender face palmed as the Narutos moved in and clung onto the Jonin. He blasted off in a rocket of blood shooting out of his nose. Ender smirked and went off to the side so that Naruto and the kid could talk. After an endearing speech from Naruto (which I don't feel like transcribing), the kid, Konohamaru, declares that he and Naruto are rivals as of now.

"Alright, see ya Sunday then, where we'll fight for the title of Hokage!" Naruto flashed a thumb up at Konohamaru and they both walked away from each other. Ender fell in beside Naruto as they walked away.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Will you beat me up again?" Naruto asked.

"I swear," Ender promised.

"What is it?"

"You know how the Hokage always calls us brothers?"

"Yeah?" Naruto asked. Ender twirled a kunai on his finger before holding it blade side up.

"Want to make it official?" Ender closed his eyes and smiled again. Naruto smirked.

"To become true brothers?"

"Heck yeah," they stopped and Ender tugged off his glove and Naruto took out a kunai as well. They both put the kunai to their palms.

"Ready?"

"Of course," Naruto answered. Ender smiled and sliced a cut deep enough to draw blood and held it out to Naruto. Naruto did the same thing and they shook hands.

"Then it's official," Naruto said. They pulled each other into a hug and walked back out into the woods.

"So, ready for tomorrow?" Ender asked.

"Of course. We're going to be a ninja!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Race you to Hokage Rock," without saying anything more, Ender took off into the trees, leaving Naruto behind in the dust.

"Hey, that's not fair!"

**Okay, I lied; I'm not going to write Team Seven Forming, that's all I'm going to write. Anyways, see ya guys, Peace!**


	3. Pass or Fail: Survival Test

**Oh man, I have just been churning these chapters out for some reason. I guess it's just because I'm just about to get to the Rock Lee v. Gaara fight in the Chunin exams (I'm only on season two, sue me) and I have just been steaming through all the battles. But, that means you guys get to read more of my cringe writing. I promise I'm trying to get better at writing. I am formulating a full backstory for Ender right now, kind of went into this blind, but because I decided to screw myself over and spoil almost the entire series for myself, I know the ANBU weren't allowed to fight the Nine-Tails. Uh, more on that later, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it. Alright, that's all, enjoy!**

Pass or Fail: Survival Test

"Ugh, he's late," Naruto complained, head stuck out of the door looking down the hallways.

"Naruto, just sit down," Sakura said.

"Oh come on, all the other teams met their senseis already and are on some crazy adventure probably. Even Iruka-sensei left," Naruto complained even more.

"Naruto, if our sensei is who I think it is, we might have to wait a little longer, so I suggest you sit down," Ender said, staring off into space from his seat beside Sasuke. His eyes drifted over to his best friend as he heard evil chuckling.

"Or… do that," Ender said in response to Naruto putting an eraser in the door.

"Naruto! Don't do that," Sakura said, looking like she was ready to hit Naruto.

"He's a Jonin, an elite ninja. You really think he's going to fall for that?" Sasuke asked.

"It'll show him for being late," Naruto chuckled. Naruto and Sakura backed up, and a second later, a head with a mask on and a headband pulled over his left eye poked his head in the doorway, letting the eraser fall on his head. Naruto let loose a maniacal laugh while Ender smirked in the back.

"Called it," he whispered to himself.

"Oh, sensei, I'm so sorry, I tried to tell Naruto not to do that, honest!" Sakura placed her hands over her heart and tried to act as earnest as possible.

"Hm, how do I put this? My first impression of this group… you're all idiots," the Jonin's eyes drifted over the entire group, four Genin instead of three. Without saying another word, the Jonin left the room slowly, allowing his new students to catch up to him.

The Jonin took them to a viewing area overlooking the Hidden Leaf, and had that sit on the steps while he leaned on the rails.

"Alright, now, I want you to introduce yourselves," the Jonin said.

"Introduce ourselves? What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Your name, things you like, things you hate. Your goals for the future. Your hobbies," the Jonin listed them off on his fingers, acting like it was obvious.

"Well, how 'bout you talk about yourself first, tell us some things about you so we know how to do it," Naruto said.

"Well, alright. My name is Kakashi Hatake. The things I like… well I don't feel like telling you that. The things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that either. My goals for the future? Never really thought about it. And my hobbies… too many to list," Kakashi finished his small spiel about himself, leaving Sakura and Naruto to turn to each other.

"Well that was a little stupid, he really only told us his name," Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Get used to it," Ender muttered.

"Alright, now your turns. Starting with you, on the right," Kakashi slowly and smoothly jerked his head towards Naruto to indicate to him to start speaking.

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki, believe it! I like eating three minute instant ramen, and the ramen Iruka-sensei got for me at Ichiraku's Ramen. I hate how you have to wait three minutes before you can eat the ramen. And my future goal is, to be the greatest Hokage ever! Believe it! My hobbies are trying different flavors of ramen every morning," Naruto finished his spiel very anticlimactically, letting Sakura go.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. The things I like… well, the person I like," Sakura giggled and blushed and her eyes flickered over to Sasuke a moment.

"My goal for the future is," yet again, Sakura giggled, blushed, and her eyes flickered over to Sasuke a moment.

"And my hobby is," for the last time, her eyes flickered over to Sasuke and she giggled and blushed.

"What about things you hate?" Kakashi asked. Sakura didn't hesitate a moment.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto let out a small whimper as his eyes whited out and rivers of tears fell from his eyes as he fell on the floor.

"Ender, your turn," Kakashi's eyes drifted to Ender who had lain down and was looking at the clouds.

"My name's Ender Aran. Things I like… haven't given it much thought. Things I hate… don't know. Goals for the future. Return honor to my family's name," Ender paused a moment as his mind lingered for a moment, not knowing why it said that. Quickly recovering, Ender continued.

"My hobbies are reading and swimming, I guess," Ender finished and everyone's eyes flickered to Sasuke, still in the same neutral position as he had been in the classroom.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like anything, but I hate a lot of things. My goal is not a dream, for I will make it a reality. I will restore my clan, and destroy a certain someone," Sasuke's words left a pregnant pause in the air, letting the other process what he had just said.

"Good. You're each unique, and you have your own ideas," Kakashi said, rearing up for a little more questions and answers.

"Tomorrow, we'll go on our first mission," Kakashi continued as Naruto let out a very small kind of squeal of excitement.

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked.

"It is a task that the four of us will do together," Kakashi continued.

"What what what what?" Naruto asked excitedly, an eager smile on his face.

"A survival exercise," Kakashi said.

"Huh? Survival exercise?" Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion as the words hit his ears.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice? We already did this stuff at the Academy. That's why we're here," Sakura said, Ender slowly nodding his head.

"This is not like your previous training," Kakashi said.

"So uh, what kind of training is it then?" Naruto asked which cause Kakashi to begin chuckling.

"Hey, hold on, that's a normal question, what's so funny?" Sakura asked. Still smiling under his mask with a light hearted voice, Kakashi said,

"If I tell you, you're not going to like it," Kakashi continued quickly.

"Of the 27 graduates who just came here, only nine will actually be accepted as Genin. The other 18 will be weeded out, and be sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it, pass/fail test, and your chance of failing is _at least _66%," Kakashi finished, allowing the annoyed and angry looks to settle on Sakura, Naruto, and Ender's faces.

"See? Didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it?" Kakashi asked.

"That's crazy. We worked hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, that. That was just a select candidates who _might _become Genin. Or not," Kakashi answered.

"Whaaat!?" Naruto screamed, voicing everyone's, except for maybe Sasuke's, thoughts.

"That's how it goes. I choose if you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5:00 A.M., and bring your ninja gear," Kakashi said.

_Only nine of us can pass? Considering I'm the odd student, knowing my luck, it's back to the Academy. Oh well, train harder next year I guess _Ender thought, letting the thought bring a kind of defeated smirk. He raised his hand anyway.

"So, does that mean I would just be immediately out if these three passed," Ender jerked his thumb to everyone else, his eyes remaining fixed on Kakashi.

"What!? No way! Ender worked hard to get here too, and just because he's the odd one out, shouldn't mean he's going to get kicked out. If he gets kicked out, then I'm out too!" Naruto shut his eyes the way he did whenever he was confused, but put on a defiant face, hands curled into fists at his sides.

"If he's out, he's out. There won't be much to do about it. Only nine ninja can pass. Or, he could knock out one of you. It will be how the cookie crumbles," Kakashi shrugged and turned around, preparing to leave.

"That's it, you're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow, you'd better skip breakfast… or you'll puke," Kakashi finished and let the words linger inside everyone's minds before turning back around to face Konoha.

**Later**

Ender and Naruto had left together, because of course, and had just been hanging out at Naruto's house. Ender seemed a little weary, but Naruto was glowing with energy.

"Hee hee hee. You ready for tomorrow Ender? We're gonna knock out that Sasuke guy tomorrow for sure!" Naruto jumped up and pumped his fist in the air, leaving Ender to smile slightly.

"I don't know Naruto. You run the greatest risk of being cut out, just saying," Ender replied, looking over Konoha.

"What!? No way, I worked just as hard as you!" Naruto replied, yet again defiant.

"Yeah… yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks for sticking up for me back there, in a way," Ender replied.

"Hehe, no problem, it's what brothers are for, right?" Naruto asked.

"Besides giving each other a hard time?" Ender asked, a smirk creeping up his face. Naruto simply nodded with his eyes closed.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow Naruto," Ender said before hopping over the guard rail and flying away over the roofs of Konoha.

**One Day Later**

Ender staggered to the training sight much more dramatically than the others. He had worked himself weary, training until 3:00, sleeping until 4:00, and being at the Memorial Stone since 4:30. He got an hour of sleep last night. He sat down in the grass and shut his eyes.

"What's up with you?" Sakura asked.

"Only… got… a… hour… of sleep," Ender managed to get out, before he lost all consciousness and began lightly snoring. What to him seemed like a few minutes after were actually a few hours the others had to wait for Kakashi. After Kakashi had delivered his 'black cat' excuse, he had tried to wake Ender for the past two minutes. That's when Sakura came over, right about when Ender was just regaining consciousness, and punched him in the head, like she's bound to do to Naruto many a time. Ender hopped up and held his head.

"OW! I was about to get up!" He yelled.

"Next time, don't train all night," Kakashi said. Ender quickly spun around and bowed.

"Yes Kakashi-sensei, sorry, was getting ready for today," Ender spat out his sentence in about thirty seconds, meaning it was barely understandable, but the message got across.

"Now, let's get started," Kakashi ignored Ender's apology, mostly, and moved over to a wooden post with a clock on it, and pressed the middle button.

"There we go. It's set for noon," Kakashi paused a moment to let his students figure out what the clock was for before explaining it himself.

"Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me, that's all there is to it," Kakashi explained, while holding up three bells.

"If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch," Kakashi continued, pausing a small moment for Naruto to let out a cry of alarm.

"You'll be tied to those posts, and you'll watch, as I eat my lunch in front of you," Kakashi finished. After another pause, Sakura spoke up.

"Wait a minute, there's four of us. How come there are only three bells?" Sakura asked. Kakashi chuckled a little under his mask.

"Well, that way, at least one of you will be tied to a post and be disqualified for not completing the mission. That one goes back to the Academy," Kakashi answered.

"Then again, all four of you could flunk out too. You can use any weapon, including shuriken. If you are not prepared to kill me, then you won't be able to take the bells," Kakashi finished, pulling the bells up by their string and closing his fist, hiding them.

"Those weapons are too dangerous sensei!" Sakura said.

"Ha ha, especially since you couldn't dodge that eraser," Naruto laughed **(Gr, I hate writing like a first grader but I can't change it!) **

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can easily ignore them. Lowest scores, losers," Kakashi said, intending to rile Naruto up. Before Naruto could attack though, Ender raised his hand.

"Are we allowed to use Jutsus too?" He asked.

"If you know it, I'll allow it," Kakashi replied after giving it some thought.

"When I say start, you can begin," Kakashi said. Naruto growled and pulled out a kunai without Kakashi ever saying start and rushed him.

"Naruto wait!" Ender called, trying to grab his arm, but missing. In a flash though, Kakashi had gotten behind Naruto, and redirected his kunai to be facing the back of his head.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet," Kakashi chastised. Naruto struggled to get his kunai from behind his head while Sasuke, Sakura, and Ender took a few paces back before Kakashi released Naruto's hand.

"But, you came at me with the full intention of destroying me, so… how can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys," Kakashi said, maybe trying to boost their spirits, maybe not.

"Get ready. Aaaaaaand… start!" Naruto, Ender, Sasuke, and Sakura all hopped away into the trees, allowing the fight for their lives, at least, the first fight for their lives, begin.

0-0-0-0-0

"Ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively," Kakashi stood in the middle of an open field by a river, watching out for his students, who were hiding in trees and bushes. Well, all except for one.

"Well, they understand that much. They've hidden well," Kakashi said to himself, before letting his eyes drift up. He noticed Naruto with a startled "huh?" who was standing on a rock, arms crossed, smiling like he had Kakashi cornered. In a tree where he could see the whole thing, Ender face palmed.

"You and me, right now, fair and square! Let's go!" Naruto said, and Kakashi squinted in confusion.

"You know, compared to the others, you're a little bit… weird?" Kakashi said.

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird here is your haircut," Naruto hopped off the rock and ran at Kakashi after that AMAZING one-liner, yelling as he did so. Kakashi reached his hand into his pack and Naruto stopped and jumped back.

"Shinobi battle techniques. Part one: Taijutsu. The physical part," Kakashi said, hand still in his pack. He began to slowly pull his hand out of the pack. What he took out wasn't a kunai, but a book, a very perverted one at that. Ender face palmed yet again, before realizing, 'oh yeah, Kakashi can read and kick ass at the same time'.

"What the-?" Naruto cut himself off as he caught sight of the book Kakashi planned on reading.

"What are you waiting for? Make your move," Kakashi said.

"But- I mean- why are you reading that book?" Naruto asked.

"Why? To find out what happens in the story, of course," Kakashi said. "Don't let it bother. With your weak attacks, it doesn't matter if I'm reading or, whatever," Kakashi finished, riling up Naruto some more.

"Grrrrr. I'm going to crush youuuuuu!" Naruto yelled as he ran at Kakashi, holding his left arm by the shoulder. Naruto jumped but his punch was blocked by Kakashi, He hit the ground again and tried to kick Kakashi this time, but Kakashi ducked under it, now as tall as Naruto. Naruto tried punching again, but he stopped, because Kakashi had disappeared.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you all the time," Kakashi said, book closed between his hands, his hands clasped with the middle and pointer fingers pointing upwards. As soon as Ender saw the hand sign, he smirked. _Oh Naruto, _he thought. _You're dead meat now. _Sakura hopped up and yelled at Naruto.

"Naruto, get out of there, he's going to destroy you!"

"Too late," Kakashi said while Naruto turned around to face him. "LEAF VILLAGE SECRET FINGER JUTSU!" Kakashi stuck the hand sign up Naruto and pushed.  
"A THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!" As Naruto went flying into the river, Ender couldn't help but snicker a little. Kakashi had told him about that move, and he had wanted to see it in action ever since.

"Okay, where was I?" Kakashi asked himself, reopening the book. Two shuriken flew from the water but Kakashi caught them on his pointer and middle fingers through the hole without taking his eyes off his book. Naruto struggled back onto land at Kakashi's feet.

"What are you doing now? You know you won't get lunch unless you get a bell by noon," Kakashi said.

"I know, I know! You told us already!" Naruto said.

"You look pretty wobbly for someone who's going to surpass the Hokage," Kakashi said. Naruto's stomach rumbled and he yelled again.

"You told us not to eat breakfast, how am I supposed to fight when I'm starving to death?" Naruto asked.

_Grrrrr, shut it Naruto, you're making me hungry, _Ender thought, hearing his stomach rumble as well.

"So, you caught me off-guard, that's all it was, believe it!" Naruto said to Kakashi's retreating figure. "I'm… so hungry I don't have any strength. But I can't let that stop me, I gotta get one of those bells no matter what," Naruto said. "I'll find the strength somehow. Believe it," Naruto continued. "I'm going to pass this test, and I'm not going back to the Academy," Naruto continued. "I will become a ninja," as soon as Naruto finished, several shadow clones jumped out of the river behind him. Kakashi took his eye off his book and looked over his shoulder.

"Ha! You're overconfident sensei. That's why you weren't ready for a shadow clone attack, my best Jutsu!" Naruto, the possible real one said. Ender smirked in his tree. _Well then, here's my chance, _he thought to himself (**It makes this a lot cooler if you imagine 'The Raising Fighting Spirit playing in the back**).

"I got your back Naruto!" Ender yelled as he jumped out of the tree, three kunai in hand. Kakashi's eye quickly flitted to Ender, and he put his book away. Ender threw the three kunai. Kakashi did a backwards handspring and kicked two out of the air, but the other grazed his pants leg, giving him a thin cut. The seven Narutos and Ender all hopped at Kakashi fists raised, but as soon as he was hit, he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

"Huh?"

"What the-"

"Where'd he go!?" The clones voiced their audible confusion and looked around while Ender got the heck out of dodge before he was caught up in a Naruto civil war, moving to a different hiding spot, this was on the ground. _Dammit! I thought we had him! Maybe if Sasuke or Sakura had helped… we're going back to the Academy I guess, _Ender grimaced as he watched the Narutos begin to beat each other up, trying to find which one is Kakashi. Eventually, it left a battered and bruised Naruto. While he pouted, something glimmered beside him and he turned to see what it was. To Naruto's amazement, it was one of the bells. Naruto laughed and ran to pick it up, but when his bent down, he paused, and was swept up into the air upside down by a rope. Kakashi sighed as he picked up the bell.

"Think before you use a Jutsu. Or else your opponent might use it against you. Oh, and if the bait is obvious, don't fall for it. A ninja must see through deception," Kakashi lectured.

"Grrrrr. I. Get. It!" Naruto yelled, struggling to get down from the rope. Kakashi cast Naruto a doubtful expression and turned to the trees.

"Oh, and Ender, good job. You're one of the only students in all my years of teaching to even slightly draw blood from me," Kakashi pointed to his pant leg, where a small blotch of blood was beginning to appear. Ender's eyes widened, He hadn't realized he had done that. He just thought he had cut through the pant. From the tress though, after Kakashi turned back around to lecture Naruto some more, several kunai and shuriken flew from the trees, heading straight for Kakashi. They hit him dead-on, and he flew to the side with a grunt, along with sharp gasps from Sakura and Ender.

"Ah! He just got blasted by shuriken. Are you out of your mind Sasuke!? You went too far!" Naruto yelled into the trees.

**Alright and there we go. That's the ending. I have to admit, I got ahead of myself (I rewatched Pass or Fail while writing this), and the fight scene where Ender came in and tried to help Naruto out a little made the fight seem a little underwhelming, but, I don't feel like going back and changing in it. Anyway, see ya guys, Peace!**


	4. Pass or Fail: Kakashi's Final Decision

**Whoo, it's been a minute, has it not? First, I should preface this by saying, happy very very late birthday Luna Bakura. I know it's probably not valid at this point, but, still. Also, I apologize this chapter took so long to get out. There were family problems and I just got so burnt out. But, I hope you do enjoy this chapter, and I'll see whoever's reading this at the outro.**

Several kunai and shuriken flew from the tress and embedded themselves into Kakashi's side, flinging him away from Naruto.

"Ah! He just got blasted by shuriken! Are you out of your mind Sasuke!? You went too far!" Naruto yelled. Though before it hit the ground, Kakashi's body turned into a log, which prompted Ender to sigh in relief. No matter how good Sasuke was, Kakashi was better. Ender could hear rustling in the bushes and trees from where Sasuke and Sakura were hiding. Sasuke was moving to a different location, being smart. Sakura was blinded by love and chasing after him to make sure he's alright. Ender figured he was safe for now. Stepping into the clearing, he looked at Naruto and chuckled.

"Hey! What're you laughing at, aren't you supposed to be helping me down here!?" Naruto yelled at him.

"Relax, relax. It's just funny how you fell for his trap," Ender said before throwing a kunai and cutting the rope. Naruto fell out of the tree and landed on his feet again, only to be caught by another rope.

"Oh come on!" He yelled.

"Right, Kakashi is never one to set only one trap," Ender said, before throwing another kunai then jumping to retrieve them both.

"How do you even know Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head, where he had landed this time.

"I've seen him at the Memorial Stone a few times, and sometimes we talk, that's all," Ender said.

"Alright, but it makes it seem you have an unfair advantage against us," Naruto said, looking off into the trees.

"Eh, not really. I'm no good against Kakashi, same as you," Ender said.

"Whatever. Should we set an ambush for him or hunt him down?" Naruto asked.

"… Let's hunt him down. There's no guarantee he'll come back this way. Besides, we have limited time," Ender said.

"Hahaha, I was hoping you'd say that!" Naruto proclaimed, grinning like a madman. Before they could even enter the woods though, a scream pierced the air. Naruto looked at the sky suspiciously then had a realization. "That was Sakura's scream. We gotta go help her!" Naruto said, before running off into the trees.

"No, you can't just! … Wait a minute… if that was Sakura's scream, then Kakashi must've startled her… Naruto you're a genius!" Ender proclaimed, before running into the woods after him. After a few minutes, another scream pierced the air, and Naruto and Ender rushed to find Kakashi… oh, and Sakura. Landing in a tree above a clearing, they found Sakura passed out in the middle of it. Hopping down, Naruto began to shake her awake as Ender kept watch. She woke up with a start, and after hitting Naruto for startling her, began to look around.

"Wh-where's Sasuke?" She asked, stuttering.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Ender asked as Naruto muttered to himself about everything being about Sasuke.

"H-he was right over there and he was b-bleeding badly," Sakura pointed to a tree at the edge of the clearing, and Ender went over to investigate. There were no signs of a body or blood, and he severely doubted Kakashi would kill any of them.

"I uh… I think Kakashi played a trick on your mind. Made it seem Sasuke was here and hurt, just to remove you from the test temporarily," Ender said.

"Oh, so I got tricked," Sakura said, looking to the ground in defeat.

"Yup. And now we have absolutely no clue where he is," Ender said.  
"So we just split up and look for him. Why can't we do that?" Naruto asked.

"Because then he'll pick us off one by one, and besides, Sasuke is no match for him. Working together will give us a better chance," Ender said.

"But only three of us get the bells. Who's going to be left out?" Sakura asked.

"Me probably. Technically, I'm not supposed to be here. I proved myself in a test, Naruto proved himself in a battle. I don't deserve to be here," Ender said.

"Don't say that. You deserve to be here as much as I do! We're gonna have an abnormal team, whether the village likes it or not!" Naruto said. Ender merely nodded before looking off into the woods.

"We should get moving though, we don't have a lot of time left," Naruto continued, looking at the noon sky.

"Agreed. Can you move Sakura?" Ender asked.

"Of course, I only passed out," Sakura said before standing.

"Okay, let's move then!" Naruto said enthusiastically before hopping back into the trees.

0-0-0-0-0

It wasn't long before they found Sasuke. Obviously, it was after Kakashi had moved on to find the others, but they found him. Stuck in the ground up to his head. Sakura passed out again at the notion of thinking he was beheaded yet still talking to them, prompting Ender to huff in defeat and help Sasuke out while Naruto tried to wake Sakura up again. After several minutes of digging, Sasuke was out and Sakura was awake again. When she finally noticed Sasuke she hugged him, leaving Naruto to groan and Ender to facepalm.

"Hey! Cut it out, let go, let go!" Sasuke said, trying to break free of Sakura's grasp. Finally, once he broke off, he turned to the trees, presumably where Kakashi went. "I've got to get a bell before lunch, that doesn't leave much time," he said, before starting to walk away.

"Wait a minute. Why are you trying to solo him again?" Ender asked.

"Because I can beat him if I can just figure out how to counter him," Sasuke said.

"No, no, you lost last time you soloed him. The whole point of this test is to see how well we work together as a team. You may be good Sasuke, better than all of us combined, but you're no match for Kakashi, trust me," Ender said.

"Fine, you have a plan?" Sasuke asked, glaring daggers at Ender.

"Find him and get the bells, simple as that," Ender shrugged, ignoring the look.

"…Fine. But once I get a bell, I'm done and you'll be on your own," Sasuke stated.

"And that's fair," Ender said. Before they could all get moving though, a ringing came from the forest. "…Well, damn, that's the bell," Ender said.

"You're kidding me! I would've been fine doing this on my own without you're help!" Sasuke yelled.

"And I was trying to use logic and reasoning… hey, where'd Naruto go?" Ender asked, looking around the clearing.

"Who cares, let the idiot get lost," Sasuke said, before beginning to sulk back to the main area.

0-0-0-0-0

Back at the starting area, the others sat down next to the tied up Naruto, who presumably had run off during Ender and Sasuke's argument to try and eat his lunch, only to be busted by Kakashi. Everyone's stomach began to growl, and soon after, Kakashi arrived.

"Uh-oh, stomachs growling, huh? That's too bad," Kakashi said, looking down at the four. "By the way, about this exercise? I've decided I won't send any of you back to the Academy," Kakashi said. Naruto laughed and Sakura was stunned at how she passed by fainting and falling over.

"There's a but. There's always a but," Ender muttered to himself, shaking his head. As Naruto and Sakura celebrated, Sasuke sat there in his gloominess, and Ender waited for the but.

"Yes. All four of you are being dropped from the program," Kakashi said.

"There it is," Ender said.

"Permanently," Kakashi finished. Naruto and Sakura stopped celebrating and Sasuke shot Kakashi a deadly glare. Ender shrugged to himself.

"Drop us from the program!? That means we can never become ninja!" Naruto said, his legs kicking the air in front of him. "You said if we can't take the bells you would send us back to the Academy! YOU CAN'T JUST CHANGE YOUR MIND AND KICK US OUT, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?" Naruto yelled.

"Because you don't think like ninja, you think like little kids. Like brats," Kakashi said.

"That's fair," Ender muttered to himself. In anger, Sasuke hopped up from his spot and rushed Kakashi, but was pinned to the ground in less than a second.

"You think it's all about you," Kakashi said to him.

"Let go of Sasuke, you can't just step on him like he's a bug!" Sakura yelled. Kakashi turned to Sakura, his tone hardening.

"You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh?" Kakashi said to her. "Why do you think we put you on squads, did you consider that question for one moment?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know what you mean?" Sakura asked.

"I mean, you never realized what this exercise is all about. Not even close. Ender tried to explain it to you, but you were all blinded by your own goals," Kakashi said.

"What it's about?" Naruto asked.

"_Yes!_ That's what determines whether you pass or fail," Kakashi said.

"But that's… I mean I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning," Sakura said.

"Tch. Use your head. Three, or in your case four, people on a squad. Why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi asked.

"Argh! How are we supposed to know why you picked four people?" Naruto asked. "We didn't make the rules!" Naruto yelled.

"It's so basic. Teamwork!" Kakashi said.

"I told you all three of you," Ender muttered.

"Just working together, is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.

"That's what I mean. It's too late now, but if all four of you had come at me, you might have been able to take them," Kakashi said, referring to the bells. "Well, anyway, it's over," Kakashi said.

"You set it up with four people but only three bells! If we worked together and got the bells, only two of us could keep them, then that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up," Sakura said.

"Well, that's a good point," Ender muttered.

"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other," Kakashi said. "I wanted to see if you could overcome that, put the squad ahead of yourselves," Kakashi said. "A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork, but you… it never even crossed your mind," Kakashi said. "Sakura, you obsessed over Sasuke, who was gone, while Naruto was right in front of you and you didn't even lift a finger to help him," Kakashi said. "Naruto, you do everything on your own. _Everything_," Kakashi pointed out. "You Sasuke thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance," Kakashi explained. "And you Ender try too hard to find logic when you should sometime just do. That's what made you run out of time," Kakashi finished, prompting Ender to look away and nod. "Ninja missions are carried out in squads, of course, you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this," Kakashi said. "When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure and death!" Reaching behind his back, Kakashi pulled a kunai out of his pack. "For example," placing the kunai against Sasuke's neck, he spoke to Sakura. "Sakura! Kill Naruto or Ender now or Sasuke dies," Kakashi said, putting Sakura into panic mode and Naruto into extreme panic mode. "That's what happens on a mission," Kakashi says, taking the kunai away from Sasuke's neck.

"Oh boy, that was really scary," Sakura said, sighing.

"Agreed. I've never seen him get _that _serious," ender muttered yet again, to himself. Naruto sighed as well. As Kakashi spun the kunai around his finger, he spoke again.

"The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice… and someone ends up dead," Kakashi said. Putting the kunai back, he stood up. "Every mission your life is on the line," he explained as he began to walk away. "Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it?" Kakashi asked. "They are all ninja, who are honored as heroes in our village," he explained.

"That's it, that's it, that's it! I know I know! I've decided that I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not gonna live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero! A hero!" Naruto said excitedly. Kakashi turned halfway to look at him.

"They are… a special kind of hero," he said solemnly.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, a stupid grin still on his face. "What kinds of heroes are they, c'mon, tell us!" He asked. "Well, well?" He said.

"They're all… K.I.A," Kakashi said, shocking Naruto for a minute.

"Ooh! That sounds really cool!" Naruto said.

"It means Killed in Action, Naruto. Not whatever you're thinking," Ender said still looking off into the trees.

"Exactly," Kakashi said. Naruto leaned back.

"Huh?" he said, or, hummed. A disturbed look settled over his face, and he looked sick to his stomach. "Ooooh," he said.

"This is a Memorial Stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here," Kakashi said. A solemn silence filled the air as Kakashi read the Stone before he turned back around. "Alright. I' going to give you one more chance," he said. "But I'm going to make it much harder on you," he said. "You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength," Kakashi explained. "_But_, Naruto doesn't get any," he finished. An angry look fell on Naruto's face. "It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself," Kakashi said. "And if anyone tries to feed him, that person will immediately fail," Kakashi said. "I make the rules. You follow them. Got it?" Kakashi asked. A few minutes later, everyone, except Naruto, was eating, with Kakashi gone, presumably off hiding somewhere and watching them. Naruto's stomach began to growl, loudly.

"This is no big deal; I can go without eating for days, for weeks!" Naruto proclaimed. "Believe it, this is no big deal!" Naruto said again, before his stomach growled loudly, seemingly to prove him wrong. "No problem," Naruto said quietly. After a few more minutes, Ender spoke up.

"I'm calling his bluff," Ender said. The other three stared at him.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"I mean, he just finished berating us about how we didn't work as a team, yet he's forbidding us from helping our teammate build up strength to be a helpful part of our team? If we don't feed him, we fail," Ender said, before grabbing a piece of sushi and giving it to Naruto. Naruto, happily, chomped down on it and swallowed. "And if I'm wrong… well, then I'm wrong. Don't feed him if you don't want to take the risk,  
Ender said, giving Naruto another sushi before taking one for himself. Sasuke, after a moment of contemplation, reached some of his rice over.

"Here," he said in a monotone voice.

"What? No Sasuke, you can't do that! You heard what the sensei said," Sakura said, looking around.

"Kakashi's gone. Besides, Ender made a good point," Sasuke said. "If Naruto's hungry he'll be weak and ineffective," Sasuke said.

"Glad to hear you see my logic," Ender smiled.

"… That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission," Sasuke finished.

"Um…" Naruto simply said, confused. When Sakura offered him some food, he tilted his head sideways, in a questioning manner. "But, isn't that your lunch?' he asked.

"I-I'm on a diet anyway… and I don't eat as much as Sasuke and Ender… J-just take it!" Sakura said.

"I can't take it!" Naruto said, referring to his bound arms. "You gotta feed me," he finished.

"Huh!?" Sakura yelled.

"Hurry up, he could come back any minute," Sasuke said.

"Agreed. Just because I'm calling his bluff doesn't mean I don't fear him," Ender chipped in. Sakura groaned/growled and picked up a bit of rice, before giving it to Naruto.

"This is one time only!" She said. "That's it. I'll never do this again, is that clear!?" She yelled.

"Clear as a bell Sakura!" Naruto smiled. As soon as Naruto took a bite though, a whirlwind of smoke blew into the sky right in front of them.

"Pray that we've passed," Ender said. Kakashi flew from the whirlwind, yelling.

"YOU!" All four of them shielded their faces from the oncoming smoke and wind. "You broke the rules! I hope you're ready for the punishment," Kakashi said, before placing his hands into an Ox sign, then a Boar and finally a Rat sign, and the sky clouded. "Any last words?" Kakashi asked as lightning thundered around them. Ender grit his teeth, before moving his hands into an Ox sign, then a Hare, and finally a Monkey sign. From his right hand, lightning sprung, and his vision tunneled, right in Kakashi's direction. Kakashi's exposed eye widened a little bit. Naruto tried to talk out of it.

"But you said…"

"Yes?" Kakashi asked.

'But you said there were four of us. You said that, and that's why... Sasuke, Sakura, and Ender…" Naruto trailed off looking at all three of his teammates.

"We're all on this squad and we're all in it together," Sasuke said. Sakura stood up and stared at Kakashi.

"Yeah, we gave our lunch to him because we are one!" She said.

"We're not going down without a fight. At least I'm not," Ender said, although his vision was tunneling more.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Believe it! That's right!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

"The four of you are one, that's your excuse?" Kakashi asked. Ender's vision tunneled more, but he was able to nod. His energy was sapping fast too. He should attack. "Hm. You pass," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask. Ender sighed and the lightning dissipated from his hand and he fell onto his butt. Two 'huh's come from Naruto and Sakura, and Sasuke remained quiet, still set in a battle stance.

"You passed," Kakashi said again, saying it slower like he was talking to five-year-olds.

"Whaddya mean?" Sakura asked. "How'd we pass?"

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves," Kakashi explained as the sky opened back up. "A ninja must see through deception," Kakashi said.

"I knew it," Ender said as he placed a finger in the air.

"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that is true," Kakashi continued, ignoring Ender. "But, those who abandon their friends, are worse than scum," Kakashi finished.

"He's uh… y' know, he's kinda cool," Naruto stuttered.

"The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad Seven starts its first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi said, giving a thumb up.

"Yes!" Sakura said.

"I did it! I did it! Believe it, I did it! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto exclaimed.

"One more thing really quickly. Ender. I'd advise you don't use that Jutsu anymore. It takes a Sharingan to use properly, which you don't have," Kakashi said. Ender flashed a thumb up from his position on the ground. "Now, let's go home," Kakashi said. Sasuke and Sakura followed Kakashi, and soon Naruto and Ender after Ender cut him out of his rope.

**Whoo boy, that took me forever! I've spent maybe an hour working on this chapter. Regardless, I hope the few of you who are reading enjoyed, and I hope Ender wasn't too intruding or too… I don't know, had too much Insider Knowledge. But, anyway, see ya guys, Peace!**


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